1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with a new and improved shower enlarger for a shower area whereby the shower area can be enlarged to provide a greater stall space for upper body movement of a person using the shower.
The present invention more particularly concerns a new and improved shower enlarger of a simplified construction and which may be uniquely shaped and manufactured in one piece in a more simplified and economic way than previously known.
The shower enlarger in one form of my invention preferably comprises a one-piece curtain rod having an offset medial section for outwardly displacing an upper area of a shower curtain to allow a greater space in a shower stall for upper body movement while showering. The enlarger further has an offset medial section which includes a pair of angular curtain rod sections that extend in diverging relation away from opposite ends of the offset medial section. The angular curtain rod sections have end sections at outer ends thereof. The outer ends of the end sections extend in opposite directions away from one another. The end sections are positioned in parallel relation to the mid-section. The end sections are adapted to be engaged with opposed walls of a shower stall.
The shower enlarger in another form of my invention differs from the above described embodiment in that the offset medial section is of an arcuate construction and the angular curtain rod sections are omitted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, shower enlargers have been proposed for use in shower stalls for engagement with a shower curtain to offset the shower curtain to provide a greater stall space for upper body movement while showering. Examples of such previously known shower enlargers are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. PATENTEE ______________________________________ 2,219,075 E. LeVeau 2,573,985 G. G. Porter 2,774,974 E. A. Zaloga 3,418,665 J. C. Long 4,229,842 Louis Gilmore ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,075 discloses a curtain support for installation over a tub. This curtain support involves a generally U-shaped curtain rod 5 and opposite ends of the curtain are adapted to be anchored into the wall positioned at one side of the tub. The anchor plates 11--11 (FIG. 1) are attached to the upright wall in overlying relation to the tub. In addition, the rod 5 is supported by an elongated hanger member 17 (FIGS. 1 and 2) for supporting a medial portion of the bracket. This patent fails to teach how to construct a curtain rod which would enable the shower curtain to be deflected by using an offset medial curtain rod section to provide more space for upper body movement by a person using the shower.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,573,985 shows a curtain rod support 13 that is movable into three different positions to move the curtain rod relative to the tub either inside or outside of the tub as may be desired. The curtain rod support includes a lock pin 21 that is engageable in lock plate hole 22 to move the curtain 11 to different adjusted positions relative to the tub as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 1. This patent does not show a one-piece curtain rod having an offset medial curtain rod section adapted to serve as a shower enlarger having the unique shape, features and advantages of my invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,774,974 shows a curtain rod 2 having an attachment secured to it which is generally indicated at 10. The curtain rod is adapted to suspend a shower curtain 8 from it by means of the clips indicated at 4. In order to enable the curtain rod to be moved laterally away from the tub to enlarge the size of the shower stall, the attachment 10 is secured by thumb screw 16 to the curtain rod. The attachment 10 is shown in FIG. 1 and includes a long arm having a curtain holder piece 18 that extends downwardly therefrom. It will further be seen in FIG. 1 that the clips holding the curtain to the curtain rod 2 can be moved from a conventional position to one whereby the clips are supported on the curtain rod attachment in such a way that the curtain rod extends at right angles away from the curtain rod and then downwardly in supported position by the curtain holder piece 18.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,665 discloses a U-shaped supplementary curtain rod 6 which is mounted on the conventional curtain rod 5 by a suitable set of clamps as indicated at 5 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The supplementary curtain rod 6 has curtain hanger clips 9 mounted thereon and the curtain is suspended from the hooks in such a way that the size of the shower stall can be enlarged as is evident from a consideration of FIGS. 1 and 2.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,842 is entitled "Shower Curtain Convertible Support Adapter". The patentee here refers to his device as a shower curtain adapter for expanding the showering space withn a shower enclosure, etc. Referring to FIG. 2 of the patent, it will be seen that a conventional curtain rod is indicated at 1 and a bowed curtain rod 3 is positioned between closed walls of the shower stall and which curtain rod 3 is bowed at its medial section in a direction away from the curtain rod 1 and away from the tub 8 so as to create a bowed effect whereby a shower curtain suspended by clips from the shower rod 1 can be caused to be moved away from the tub so as to enlarge the space for body movement above the waist. This subject is discussed in column 2, lines 32-40. Here again, the device shown in this prior art patent does not show a one-piece shower enlarger having the unique shape which enables cost savings and a more simplified construction facilitating manufacture.